Metrics to Reduce Risk in Product Ship Decisions – Part I – Introduction (#1 in the series Metrics to Reduce Risk in Product Ship Decisions)
By Johanna Rothman
Traditionally, product shipment decisions were made based on how the software product “felt” to the tester or developer. After running the product for some period of time, the developer or tester would pronounce the product fit or unfit for shipment.
Many organizations now recognize that decisions based on “gut feel” are insufficient. These organizations have come to this realization from a number of different perspectives: they are starting to institute a quality management system, or have undergone a software process audit; they have had problems with their products in the field; or management recognizes ship decisions are made without sufficient data.
It is possible to define specific measurements for product shipment decisions. At the very least, these metrics can be defined for the system test phase. This series will address:
- Measurable system test entry criteria
- Measurable data to assess product shipment risk
These metrics will be discussed in the context of one case study. We will define quality, develop possible metrics, discuss when to define the criteria, review general reliability and stability measures, and discuss how to assess the data.
Original article can be found at: http://www.jrothman.com/Papers/QW96.html
Johanna Rothman consults, speaks, and writes on managing high-technology product development. Johanna is the author of Manage It!’Your Guide to Modern Pragmatic Project Management’. She is the coauthor of the pragmatic Behind Closed Doors, Secrets of Great Management, and author of the highly acclaimed Hiring the Best Knowledge Workers, Techies & Nerds: The Secrets and Science of Hiring Technical People. And, Johanna is a host and session leader at the Amplifying Your Effectiveness (AYE) conference (http://www.ayeconference.com). You can see Johanna’s other writings at http://www.jrothman.com.
